


Snickerdoodles

by theladyofthedarkcastle



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), The Tournament (2009)
Genre: Cookies Rule Everything Around Me, Cream, F/M, Fluff, In N Out, JRD's birthday!, Woobie alert, woobie flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 00:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3401588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theladyofthedarkcastle/pseuds/theladyofthedarkcastle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joseph putting himself through school working at In N Out, walking past C.R.E.A.M. next door and not daring to go in and say hello to the beautiful ice cream scooper. He just watches through the window.</p>
<p>Winner of Best Anyelle - Fluff - T.E.A. 2016</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Happy happy birthday to the wonderful justrumbelledearie!! I gift you this little fluffy Macelle piece! :D (This is my first attempt at Macelle, I hope it came out alright!)

Joseph MacAvoy glanced up at the mirror, meeting his own reflection for the first time in three days. He’d been so concerned with picking up as many hours at work to make up for the hours he’d skipped to study that he hadn’t been paying attention to his own personal hygiene. Not that he ever really paid attention to his personal hygiene. He’d managed to pass his midterms, barely, and was now staring down another rent payment. 

It never ended. 

At least In N Out paid well, above minimum wage, and they were willing to work with his school schedule. It was the most he could ask for in a job, especially since they’d just gotten new neighbors. About a month ago, a sign had gone up in the window of the smallish store that had been sitting next to the In N Out for almost a year. The sign was discreet but colorful, stating that coming soon would be a CREAM. 

Joseph had no idea what a CREAM was, or why it would be in all caps. The only establishments he could think of that would carry such a title were embarrassing and he had pushed them from his mind as soon as he they had entered. Construction had begun almost immediately, the workers populating his workplace almost every hour of everyday. The storefront had been completely redesigned. It was now, well, charming, for lack of a better word. Outfitted in creams and blues, he realized the CREAM was actually an acronym, it stood for Cookies Rule Everything Around Me. 

He’d thought that was a silly name but seeing as he was fastening a giant safety pin to hold up his work apron, he probably shouldn’t be one to talk. 

The small eatery apparently only sold desserts, cookies and ice cream, and was insanely popular. The fact that it was so close to In N Out merely helped both businesses, customers running between the two. It hadn’t been but a week before CREAM was looking for more part time employees to keep its patrons happy. 

That’s when she’d appeared. 

She’d shown up one day, busy behind the counter, whipping cookies out of the industrial ovens and scooping ice cream like it was butter all while smiling like the person she was serving had personally hung the moon. 

She was a vision. 

He didn’t know her name, he’d never dared step foot into CREAM, but she was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She barely fit over the counter, but she managed to fill the whole room. Her chestnut curls bounced in their pony tail, tucked neatly into a CREAM baseball cap. His repeated peeks through the window of the store on his way to work had revealed eyes as blue as any ocean or sky he could think of, shining brightly against the cream colored walls.

He tucked his white shirt into his white pants again, picking at a stain that seemed to have gotten much worse since last night. In N Out was the only fast food restaurant crazy enough to outfit their workers completely in white. Joseph was constantly fighting stains but didn’t want to spend time doing extra laundry. A few hours at work and he’d be freshly splattered anyway. He glanced down at his battered wrist watch. He had 20 minutes to get to work. Perfect. That was just enough time to make the 5 minute walk from his small apartment and casually stroll by CREAM for a few minutes. Hopefully she’d be working. 

It was hot outside, hot enough that his hair was sticking to the inside of his paper hat. He reached up and scratched his scalp, wishing for the millionth time he was somewhere cooler. At least the restaurant would be air conditioned. 

CREAM poked into this vision, followed by In N Out a second later. A rivulet of sweat trickled down his back. If she was working, maybe he could go inside and talk to her, look at her, maybe learn her name. He didn’t want her to realize he’d been watching her… She was just so nice to watch. Things didn’t seem so bad when he was watching her. If it wasn’t too laughable, he could imagine having her in his life forever, basking in the warmth she brought him. 

If only he could talk to her. Her voice was probably the sweetest noise on this earth. It’d have to be, right? 

He was only 20 feet from CREAM’s front windows. He could do this. Just walk up to the door and push. Walk inside and say hello. Or just wave, if there was a line. He couldn’t be late for his own shift. 

The front door was pushed open slightly, venting some of the cool air conditioned breeze out onto the street. There didn’t seem to be a line this morning. He slowly peaked around the corner, delighted to see a certain chestnut pony tail bouncing slightly, its owner restocking one of the ice cream flavors. 

His heart started beating faster against its chest, sped up by the mere closeness to the woman, no, not woman, angel. Only an angel could be working in this blasted heat and still look like perfection. She was talking to the man she was working with, Joseph bristled, of course she’d be working with a man. She probably had a boyfriend, someone worthy of her, someone the opposite of him. The man working was huge, almost overwhelming in the small parlour. His muscles probably had muscles. He could probably keep her safe. 

Joseph was so caught up in his train of thought, running down the list of everything the man had that he didn’t that he didn’t notice his angel until she was standing right in front of him. 

His mouth dropped open, possibly emitting a sound he should’ve been embarrassed about but his brain couldn’t process anything besides the fact that she was even more beautiful up close. Her skin was pale as the vanilla ice cream he favored and completely unblemished. God had outdone himself when he’d made this angel. Or maybe He’d just sent her to Earth to help people. Either way, he was unworthy to even stand in her presence. 

He blinked up, daring to flick his eyes to hers for a second. They were so impossibly blue and...smiling...she was smiling at him. Joseph glanced down at the pavement again. 

“Hello.” She uttered softly. 

Joseph’s heart stopped. 

Her voice was honeyed with an accent entirely different from his own yet sweeter than the plain American English he’d been surrounded by since moving to the states. He allowed his eyes to dart to hers again, losing his train of thought as soon as he met her deep blue gems. When on earth had he begun to think entirely in metaphors? He suddenly understood why the Psalms tried to compare God to the beauty of the Earth. There had to be greater words to describe the roaring in his ears that had settled in his stomach. 

She was offering him something. It didn’t matter what it was, he’d treasure it until he died. Her smile was warming his stomach, creating a heat that was beginning to match the temperature of the day. 

“They’re fresh out of the oven,” she said, speaking softly enough as if he were a creature ready to dart. “I’ve noticed you walking by here and I figured you might enjoy one. They’re snickerdoodle, my favorite.” She smiled again.

The thought that she had noticed him had all the blood in Joseph’s body staining his cheeks, the fact that she was offering him something she also loved had his stomach in knots. He reached out and took the cookie from her hand, his fingers tingling as they brushed. He needed to thank her, to show his appreciation, to say something that wasn’t some mumbled sound. 

He swallowed hard, “Thank you.” 

She smiled even brighter at his voice, if that was even possible. “My name is Belle.” 

Belle. Joseph turned the syllable over in his mind’s voice. It was perfect. Beauty. She was Beauty, it glowed out of every aspect of her. The cookie was melting in his hand, crumbs falling down onto the ground. The man inside was calling for her again, pulling her away from him. Belle looked apologetic. 

“I have to go.” 

Joseph knew he had to try again before she was gone, before he could retreat to work and cradle every moment to his heart. “Um...thank you again. You’re very kind.” 

It wasn’t eloquent, but it would to do. She turned to go back inside, “Come visit soon, Joseph.” 

Joseph almost lost the grip he had on her gift. The door to CREAM was pulled shut by her dainty hand. How’d she know his name? He brought a piece of the cookie to his mouth, it was still warm. He’d definitely have to come visit his angel again. Soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nothingeverlost asked: "What is Joseph's usual order at In N Out? Does Belle come in and order and does Joe manage to avoid any accidents with hot oil when she's there?"

“Hmm… I think I’ll have a Neapolitan shake today.”

Joseph almost dropped the entire load of french fires into the deep frier. Hell he almost dropped his arm into the frier. He knew that voice. He’d know it anywhere.

Belle.

He cursed whatever power had scheduled him for potato duty today instead of being on the register yet a small part of his brain kicked him and reminded him that if he’d been faced with Belle trying to order, he’d have probably stood there with his mouth hanging open. What on earth was this perfect being doing in this greasy place trying to order a watered down version of the lovely ice cream she sold.

Archie, the lucky bastard who actually got to bask in Belle’s glow, turned to start mixing the only three flavors In N Out offered. That little something in Joseph’s head kicked him again, prompting him to throw the rest of the frozen spuds into their oily doom and grab Belle’s cup right out of Archie’s hand.

“I’ll get this one.” He mumbled. No need to alert Archie to the fact that this woman was so much more than a mere customer. Not that he was actually putting anything past the red haired man. He was far too perceptive to be working in a fast food joint. He’d be far better off in a position where he could actually help people, like bartending.

The shake machine hummed pleasantly as Joseph felt Belle’s eyes tracking over his back. There was no way she’d realized it was him making her shake. If she had, he was sure she’d pounce on him, trying to spread her general, all around good nature and light. She was too good for him. She couldn’t cancel out all the sin he had in his life.

He made eye contact with the tri-colored swirl emptying into the cup both begging it to be finished filling and hoping that God would send him another miracle and the cup would be bottomless. No. No miracle today. Belle’s shake was done. He snapped the lid on, pulling lightly to make sure that it was snapped in place and wouldn’t spill all over Belle’s pristine CREAM uniform.

He turned toward the counter, Belle exactly where he’d expected her, leaning lightly against the pick up space.

“Joseph!” She exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were working today!”

Joseph’s face twitched into something he hoped approximated a smile. “I made this for you.”

Belle’s face split into such a large smile Joseph thought the light of God was spilling into his greasy restaruant. She reached a hand toward the cup. Oh God, she’d have to grab the cup from him, their fingers might actually touch. What would happen if they touched? Joseph wasn’t sure he would remember to breathe if Belle was touching him.

He set the cup down and nudged it towards her searching arm with a single finger. Belle snatched it up yet, her gaze as it slid over his face held something, something Joseph couldn’t quite name, something like saddness. That wouldn’t stand. Nothing bad would ever dare touch any part of Belle if Joseph had anything to say about it.

Belle brought the straw to her mouth, a slight smile on her rosebud lips. Joseph knew, in that moment, he’d sell his soul to be that straw. Her cheeks hollowed as she worked to draw some of the cool concoction into her mouth. Good God. She was going to kill him. His mind whipped to other activities that would cause her to make the same face. He cleared his throat, thanking God for the low counter hiding his lower half. Belle would never know how much his soul lusted for her purity.

She sighed, a small, perfect sound. “This is delicious. A perfect companion to the Snickerdoodles I just took out of the oven.” She turned towards the door, her perfect hips swinging slightly, “stop by after your shift, I’ll save you one.”

Joseph blinked as she disappeared in a gust from their overdoor fan. Was she real? Or did he really pass out in the deep frier and God sent him a vision. Either way, there was a high probability he was dead, or on the way to becoming so. He glanced at the clock. He had four more hours of his shift. Four more hours before he’d have to decide to take up Belle on her offer or slink out the back way home.

His mouth watered as he thought of the warm cinnamon cookie being devoured by a blue eyed angel. Four hours. Who was he kidding? He’d drag himself through that door if it killed him. If he died in her presence, Joseph could think of no better way to go.


	3. Chapter 3

Belle looked up from her ice cream as the bell attached to the door of CREAM jingled lightly. That was odd. It wasn’t windy enough to warrant accidental door openings, but there wasn’t a bright eyed customer pushing their way into the shop. 

The door slid back closed. Belle shrugged and went back to sliding the new tub of cinnamon flavored delight into its chilled slot. She kept one eye on the sneaky door and one on the oven behind her. She had another batch of snickerdoodles almost done. 

The door clicked open again, not far enough to set off the bell, but far enough for her to notice. At least this time, Belle could see a hand peaking around the wooden door. The ice cream clicked in with a snap. She could solve this mystery herself. 

She glanced around the shop, the empty tables reminding her that she was here by herself on this brisk Tuesday afternoon. A part of her mind gently reminded her that if this person was here for something other than warm cookies and ice cream, she could be in trouble, but something larger told her that this wasn’t a threat. 

The door was only twelve steps away from the counter, but Belle made it in eleven, she reached out her hand to pull the door open when it swung back towards her face. She had presence of mind to turn before the door smacked into her back. 

“Oh! I’m so…Oh my goodness. Belle! Are you okay?! Oh I’m so stupid. I just should’ve come in. But now I’ve hurt you.”

The body that had thrown itself into the shop to accompany the voice was the exact one that she had secretly been hoping it was. Joseph. He was still wearing his In N Out uniform and he was worrying himself into the hardwood floor. 

Belle smiled and reached out to place a hand on Joseph’s arm. “Joseph. I’m fine. That’s not the first time that’s happened. Kids are usually quite excited to get in here and see what all the flavors are.”

Joseph’s words stopped draining from his mouth, though he was still visibly trembling. Belle’s heart squeezed. It had just been an accident but this kindhearted man was still probably going to fret all evening that he’d hurt her in some way. 

“Joseph. I’m fine! Honestly!” She laughed, hoping to elicit at least a small smile from him. She pulled on his arm again. “Well, come on! Don’t just lurk in the door way! I have a fresh batch of your favorite cookies! Snickerdoodle!”

Joseph’s wide brown eyes got even wider as she dragged him to the counter. Oh well, perhaps it would simply take a lot of cookies and ice cream to make sure everything was definitely alright. Belle didn’t mind if it took twenty more of these types of meetings, eventually they’d turn into something more. 

The warmth in her heart, that matched the warmth in Joseph’s eyes, was sure of it.


End file.
